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LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Dead Set in TV
Aug 18, 2019 (Updated Oct 25, 2019)
Dead Set in short - a six part British drama series, set around a zombie apocalypse, where most of the story takes place in the Big Brother house.
It's also from the mind of Charlie Brooker - the creator of Black Mirror, and the results are pretty good.
The opening episode deals with an eviction night of the British Big Brother series, where everyone involved both on camera and behind the scenes go about their usual business.
As a virus takes hold and chaos quickly ensues, the Big Brother housemates are trapped inside the house - which happens to be pretty secure.
The way that Dead Set is shot is frantic when the action starts. It's nasty and gritty whilst keeping a British dark humour sort of charm without ever going full comedy. In fact, the series is really quite bleak throughout.
The episodes run at 20 minutes each with an extended pilot, clocking in at just over 2 hours and it managed to hold my attention throughout.
Of course, being a Charlie Brooker project, there's an underlying message - as the zombie horde surrounding the house grows and grows, even in death, the public are drawn towards trashy reality shows.
Considering Dead Set is a TV show aired on Channel 4, it's pretty impressive. Well worth checking out for anyone who enjoys horror.
It's also from the mind of Charlie Brooker - the creator of Black Mirror, and the results are pretty good.
The opening episode deals with an eviction night of the British Big Brother series, where everyone involved both on camera and behind the scenes go about their usual business.
As a virus takes hold and chaos quickly ensues, the Big Brother housemates are trapped inside the house - which happens to be pretty secure.
The way that Dead Set is shot is frantic when the action starts. It's nasty and gritty whilst keeping a British dark humour sort of charm without ever going full comedy. In fact, the series is really quite bleak throughout.
The episodes run at 20 minutes each with an extended pilot, clocking in at just over 2 hours and it managed to hold my attention throughout.
Of course, being a Charlie Brooker project, there's an underlying message - as the zombie horde surrounding the house grows and grows, even in death, the public are drawn towards trashy reality shows.
Considering Dead Set is a TV show aired on Channel 4, it's pretty impressive. Well worth checking out for anyone who enjoys horror.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Jojo Rabbit (2019) in Movies
Aug 17, 2020
Jojo Rabbit- alot of people told me that their liked this movie. From the trailer it looked reallly good. So when i watched it yesterday, i didnt love it, i liked it kinda. Let me explain...
The subject of Nazis and Hitler is a touchy one to say the least, but it's also a subject that is ripe for satire, and one of the many aspects that stands out here, is how Taika Waititi has managed to craft a film that is absolutely hilarious, but never undermines how horrible this part of history was. So the fact that Taika made Hitler funny was kinda weird, strange and also didnt feel right. But at the same time Taika did a excellent job playing Hitler. Its just strange and out of chacter to see hitler funny. Other than that the movie is good.
The plot: Jojo is a lonely German boy who discovers that his single mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their attic. Aided only by his imaginary friend -- Adolf Hitler -- Jojo must confront his blind nationalism as World War II continues to rage on.
The cast is good, the plot is good, like i said its just strange, wired, out of charcter to see hitler funny. The film never shows the darkside of WWII. So thats good. Jojo Rabbit is a good dark comedy film.
The subject of Nazis and Hitler is a touchy one to say the least, but it's also a subject that is ripe for satire, and one of the many aspects that stands out here, is how Taika Waititi has managed to craft a film that is absolutely hilarious, but never undermines how horrible this part of history was. So the fact that Taika made Hitler funny was kinda weird, strange and also didnt feel right. But at the same time Taika did a excellent job playing Hitler. Its just strange and out of chacter to see hitler funny. Other than that the movie is good.
The plot: Jojo is a lonely German boy who discovers that his single mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their attic. Aided only by his imaginary friend -- Adolf Hitler -- Jojo must confront his blind nationalism as World War II continues to rage on.
The cast is good, the plot is good, like i said its just strange, wired, out of charcter to see hitler funny. The film never shows the darkside of WWII. So thats good. Jojo Rabbit is a good dark comedy film.
Jpb (34 KP) rated Malignant (2021) in Movies
Sep 12, 2021
Not your typical Wan
Contains spoilers, click to show
So I went see this , And with it being James Wan I expected a serious supernatural horror so, I started watching it with a mind set it might be a supernatural or entity type movie like the conjuring but I couldnât of been more wrong. Its different in a good way its on the verge of silly but by damn he made it work. The visuals, the camera angles, the music, the gore its all one fun head fu**ed up ride! The special effects are crazy cool looking and the movie even gives you a hint of nostalgia to all those original horror movies. This movie is an unexpected mind blow I enjoyed every plot twist and hidden joke because there is some comedy in the mix or perhaps its just my dark sense of humor lol. Over all a good movie to watch a refreshing plot line to be honest. James Wan is a master at what he does and once again he delivered.
I came out thinking if this was the late 80s I would of just watched elm street about a serial kill that kills u in your sleep , which was also silly fun and scary. If you want something that pushes the boundaries then this is for you.
I came out thinking if this was the late 80s I would of just watched elm street about a serial kill that kills u in your sleep , which was also silly fun and scary. If you want something that pushes the boundaries then this is for you.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Dark Crimes (2018) in Movies
Jul 8, 2019
great many of us film aficionados have, at one time or another, thought that theyâve seen so many films from so many different genres or written by so many âmessed upâ writers or directed by so many warped minds that have simply âwalked off the mapâ that nothing and I mean absolutely nothing could shock us. We think weâve âseen everythingâ or have been âpreparedâ for anything shocking that filmmakers might throw our way. As todayâs film for your consideration will demonstrate, even folks like âusâ can be caught off guard by the occasional âcurve ballâ by a writer, director, or actor/actress weâve become acquainted with through their work over the years. I can say this much before we go any further ⌠I have never seen nor did I ever imagine seeing Jim Carrey in a film like this.
Todayâs selection is a 2016 Polish-American dramatic-mystery film entitled âDark Crimesâ. The film is based upon an article published in âThe New Yorkerâ in 2008 entitled âTrue Crime:A Post-Modern Murder Mysteryâ by David Grann about convicted Polish murderer, writer, and photographer Krystian Bala. Directed by Alexandros Avranas and written by Jeremey Brock, âDark Crimesâ stars Jim Carrey, Marton Csokas, Agata Kulesza, Kati Outinen, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and Zbigniew Zamachowski. Jim Carrey is Detective Tadek. Formerly a highly decorated and respected detective, his recent work with the police department has been nothing more than administrative duties in the records department after a controversial case he was investigating involving an unsolved murder at a sex club was suddenly âshelvedâ and he was relegated to his current desk job. A recent book by a controversial author Kozlow (Csokas), describes a murder almost identical to the unsolved murder of a businessman Tadek was investigating and even contains details that mirror many he discovered in his original investigation. After pleading with his immediate superior to allow him to continue examining the case, Tadek begins to delve deeper into the incident re-visiting the location of the murder and interviewing possible witnesses and others who may have been present or involved in the murder.
Soon Tadekâs determination overshadows everything else. He becomes paranoid and obsessed to such severity that he alienates his family and crosses lines professionally and personally as a sort of madness begins to take over. The moment he believes he has figured out the solution to the case that has become his obsession and cost him everything he has and the person he is, it all slips away as the truth about Kozlowâs involvement in the crime becomes clear and Tadekâs only remaining option is the one you donât see coming.
This film is DARK and not for the faint of heart. The world knows Jim Carrey for comedy and thatâs what heâll ALWAYS be known for. This film metaphorically takes all that, throws it right out the window, then proceeds to run downstairs and then outside and stomp on it. Prepare to be shocked as this was Carrey like Iâve never seen him before. The film is dark, gritty, serious, and will tempt you to keep your finger on the âoff buttonâ all the way through the film. In that regard, it is indeed a great film. Itâs like a modern take on a classic well-written murder mystery novel where even in the end, the outcome is sometimes equal to if not worse than the actual crime itself. The world knows Marton Csokas for his villainous roles where he typically portrays Russian or Eastern European madmen and once again he does the same in this film with great flair. The film is rated R for strong and disturbing content and runs about an hour and a half so itâs most definitely NOT one for young folks. Which it late at night when itâs dark if youâre looking for something scary that will keep you awake all night. Iâm going to give the film 3 out of 5 stars. Itâs okay to see once but in all honesty, itâs nothing original that hasnât been done in other films with other actors. This one is just a variation on a theme with deferent players and different aspects and details
Todayâs selection is a 2016 Polish-American dramatic-mystery film entitled âDark Crimesâ. The film is based upon an article published in âThe New Yorkerâ in 2008 entitled âTrue Crime:A Post-Modern Murder Mysteryâ by David Grann about convicted Polish murderer, writer, and photographer Krystian Bala. Directed by Alexandros Avranas and written by Jeremey Brock, âDark Crimesâ stars Jim Carrey, Marton Csokas, Agata Kulesza, Kati Outinen, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and Zbigniew Zamachowski. Jim Carrey is Detective Tadek. Formerly a highly decorated and respected detective, his recent work with the police department has been nothing more than administrative duties in the records department after a controversial case he was investigating involving an unsolved murder at a sex club was suddenly âshelvedâ and he was relegated to his current desk job. A recent book by a controversial author Kozlow (Csokas), describes a murder almost identical to the unsolved murder of a businessman Tadek was investigating and even contains details that mirror many he discovered in his original investigation. After pleading with his immediate superior to allow him to continue examining the case, Tadek begins to delve deeper into the incident re-visiting the location of the murder and interviewing possible witnesses and others who may have been present or involved in the murder.
Soon Tadekâs determination overshadows everything else. He becomes paranoid and obsessed to such severity that he alienates his family and crosses lines professionally and personally as a sort of madness begins to take over. The moment he believes he has figured out the solution to the case that has become his obsession and cost him everything he has and the person he is, it all slips away as the truth about Kozlowâs involvement in the crime becomes clear and Tadekâs only remaining option is the one you donât see coming.
This film is DARK and not for the faint of heart. The world knows Jim Carrey for comedy and thatâs what heâll ALWAYS be known for. This film metaphorically takes all that, throws it right out the window, then proceeds to run downstairs and then outside and stomp on it. Prepare to be shocked as this was Carrey like Iâve never seen him before. The film is dark, gritty, serious, and will tempt you to keep your finger on the âoff buttonâ all the way through the film. In that regard, it is indeed a great film. Itâs like a modern take on a classic well-written murder mystery novel where even in the end, the outcome is sometimes equal to if not worse than the actual crime itself. The world knows Marton Csokas for his villainous roles where he typically portrays Russian or Eastern European madmen and once again he does the same in this film with great flair. The film is rated R for strong and disturbing content and runs about an hour and a half so itâs most definitely NOT one for young folks. Which it late at night when itâs dark if youâre looking for something scary that will keep you awake all night. Iâm going to give the film 3 out of 5 stars. Itâs okay to see once but in all honesty, itâs nothing original that hasnât been done in other films with other actors. This one is just a variation on a theme with deferent players and different aspects and details
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated David Brent: Life on the Road (2017) in Movies
Sep 29, 2021
A squirm-athon from beginning to end.
âLife on the Roadâ is a mockumentary sequel to the classic British version of the TV comedy âThe Officeâ (obviously later remade for the US market and featuring Steve Carell). Ricky Gervais played the ego-centric David Brent, a monster of a character who exercised what little control he had in his managerial role at a Slough paper company.
Here in âLife on the Roadâ we join Brent 15 years later where he has taken a rung or two down the career ladder and is working as a sales rep for Lavachem, a sanitary goods manufacturer, also based in Slough.
But Brent still harbours a dream of making it big in the rock world with his middle-of-the-road band called âForegone Conclusion (2)â. Gathering around him his ethnic rapper âfriendâ Dom Johnson (Doc Brown) and a band of session musicians (who canât stand him), Brent cashes in âseveral pensionsâ to fund a tour of the venues of Berkshire⌠or at least, those that will give stage time over to a âshite bandâ. As the tour delivers predictably diminishing returns, and no record-company interest (at least, not in him) Brent is forced to face his inner demons and some uncomfortable truths.
Bringing TV comedy characters to screen is fraught with difficulty, and few have successfully done it. Even legends like Morecambe and Wise struggled with a series of lacklustre films. Perhaps in recent times Steve Cooganâs Alan Partridge has come closest with âAlan Partridge â Alpha Papaâ and indeed there are a lot of similarities visible between Partridge and Brent: both have extreme ego issues and self-centredness. But there are significant differences as well, for while Partridge is just an irritatingly loud and obnoxious minor-celebrity Brent â as this film makes much clearer â has real mental illness.
Brent - the sun shines out of his earhole.
Brent â the sun shines out of his earhole.
Is this therefore a comedy at all? Well, yes, but in a very black way. There are certainly moments of excellent humour, with the tattooing scene being a high-point. But the result of watching Brentâs progressive decline, with his nervous laugh as a constant âfingernails on chalk boardâ reminder of his insecurity, results in a level of audience squirming that is palpable. Everything he does is perverse, from describing in excruciating detail every song before singing it, to spending his money on multiple hotel rooms when every gig is within the County of Berkshire.
As a black comedy its important that it doesnât outstay its welcome, and at 96 minutes it doesnât. However, the film lacks the courage of its own dark convictions, and unnecessarily switches tack in the last reel to provide a degree of redemption for Brent. Whilst âsweetâ, it is also implausible given whatâs happened before and I would have suspected the interference of the director in lightening the mood of the writerâs original intent. However, as Gervais is both writer and director, there is no such excuse. Thatâs a shame.
So, in summary, an uncomfortable watch that aligns appropriately with the high squirm factor of the original TV show. Prepare to laugh, but feel a bit guilty in doing so.
Here in âLife on the Roadâ we join Brent 15 years later where he has taken a rung or two down the career ladder and is working as a sales rep for Lavachem, a sanitary goods manufacturer, also based in Slough.
But Brent still harbours a dream of making it big in the rock world with his middle-of-the-road band called âForegone Conclusion (2)â. Gathering around him his ethnic rapper âfriendâ Dom Johnson (Doc Brown) and a band of session musicians (who canât stand him), Brent cashes in âseveral pensionsâ to fund a tour of the venues of Berkshire⌠or at least, those that will give stage time over to a âshite bandâ. As the tour delivers predictably diminishing returns, and no record-company interest (at least, not in him) Brent is forced to face his inner demons and some uncomfortable truths.
Bringing TV comedy characters to screen is fraught with difficulty, and few have successfully done it. Even legends like Morecambe and Wise struggled with a series of lacklustre films. Perhaps in recent times Steve Cooganâs Alan Partridge has come closest with âAlan Partridge â Alpha Papaâ and indeed there are a lot of similarities visible between Partridge and Brent: both have extreme ego issues and self-centredness. But there are significant differences as well, for while Partridge is just an irritatingly loud and obnoxious minor-celebrity Brent â as this film makes much clearer â has real mental illness.
Brent - the sun shines out of his earhole.
Brent â the sun shines out of his earhole.
Is this therefore a comedy at all? Well, yes, but in a very black way. There are certainly moments of excellent humour, with the tattooing scene being a high-point. But the result of watching Brentâs progressive decline, with his nervous laugh as a constant âfingernails on chalk boardâ reminder of his insecurity, results in a level of audience squirming that is palpable. Everything he does is perverse, from describing in excruciating detail every song before singing it, to spending his money on multiple hotel rooms when every gig is within the County of Berkshire.
As a black comedy its important that it doesnât outstay its welcome, and at 96 minutes it doesnât. However, the film lacks the courage of its own dark convictions, and unnecessarily switches tack in the last reel to provide a degree of redemption for Brent. Whilst âsweetâ, it is also implausible given whatâs happened before and I would have suspected the interference of the director in lightening the mood of the writerâs original intent. However, as Gervais is both writer and director, there is no such excuse. Thatâs a shame.
So, in summary, an uncomfortable watch that aligns appropriately with the high squirm factor of the original TV show. Prepare to laugh, but feel a bit guilty in doing so.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) in Movies
Jan 18, 2018
Frances McDormand (2 more)
Sam Rockwell
Comedy
Darkly funny and depressing
I went into this film with a lot of preconceptions, having seen earlier reviews and loved Martin McDonaghâs previous films. Iâm not entirely sure for me that it quite lived up to the hype.
Donât get me wrong, it was a very good film. There are some fantastic performances in it from Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell and they deserve every accolade that gets thrown at them. The rest of the supporting cast too are great, with the exception of Abbie Cornish who I really donât rate. I know sheâs Australian but her accent in this seems very changeable and atrocious.
The cinematography itself is beautiful and the plot takes some very good and unexpected twists and turns. The bits of dark humour throughout really help lift what would otherwise be a very depressing and sad film. My issue is that for me it seemed very slow paced. For me it felt like it had been on for far too long and dragged a little, but I was surprised when it finished that it had been on for less than 2 hours.
Iâll happily acknowledge that this will likely be one of the best films Iâll see in 2018, impressive as itâs only January. But I feel like I need to reserve a final judgement until after a second viewing (preferably in a nice peaceful environment - not a noisy cinema screen).
Donât get me wrong, it was a very good film. There are some fantastic performances in it from Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell and they deserve every accolade that gets thrown at them. The rest of the supporting cast too are great, with the exception of Abbie Cornish who I really donât rate. I know sheâs Australian but her accent in this seems very changeable and atrocious.
The cinematography itself is beautiful and the plot takes some very good and unexpected twists and turns. The bits of dark humour throughout really help lift what would otherwise be a very depressing and sad film. My issue is that for me it seemed very slow paced. For me it felt like it had been on for far too long and dragged a little, but I was surprised when it finished that it had been on for less than 2 hours.
Iâll happily acknowledge that this will likely be one of the best films Iâll see in 2018, impressive as itâs only January. But I feel like I need to reserve a final judgement until after a second viewing (preferably in a nice peaceful environment - not a noisy cinema screen).
Ronnie (304 KP) rated Hollow City: The Second Novel of Miss Peregrine's Children in Books
Mar 2, 2020
setting (1 more)
characters
so visibly you feel as though you are there
After their loop is raided and Miss Peregrine is captured, the children flee to London, chasing after their only hope of getting her back. Throughout the journey, relationships are tested, enemies are defeated, and new friends are made. Dangerous hide around every corner and Jacob must make a life altering decision about his love for Emma.
Throughout the book Riggs once again manages to weave a story so intriguing you canât put it down and describes scenes so visibly you feel as though you are there. I loved this book, more than the first. Having different settings made the book very interesting and enjoyable for me and I loved how, no matter how dark the story was, there is still comedy woven through the book. I also loved that new characters were added into this book, adding another dimension. It was also amazing to watch Jacob grow more comfortable and confident with his peculiarity. The only negative thing I have to say about the book is that I donât like Emma and Jacobâs relationship. I often forget about it and the whole thing seems uncomfortable and unnecessary, only being used when itâs convenient. Another reason the relationship didnât sit well with me because Emma used to be with Jacobâs grandad, so the whole relationship feels a bit wrong to me. Despite this, I still loved the book and canât wait to start reading âLibrary Of Soulsâ.
Throughout the book Riggs once again manages to weave a story so intriguing you canât put it down and describes scenes so visibly you feel as though you are there. I loved this book, more than the first. Having different settings made the book very interesting and enjoyable for me and I loved how, no matter how dark the story was, there is still comedy woven through the book. I also loved that new characters were added into this book, adding another dimension. It was also amazing to watch Jacob grow more comfortable and confident with his peculiarity. The only negative thing I have to say about the book is that I donât like Emma and Jacobâs relationship. I often forget about it and the whole thing seems uncomfortable and unnecessary, only being used when itâs convenient. Another reason the relationship didnât sit well with me because Emma used to be with Jacobâs grandad, so the whole relationship feels a bit wrong to me. Despite this, I still loved the book and canât wait to start reading âLibrary Of Soulsâ.
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Lee KM Pallatina (951 KP) Aug 19, 2019
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) Aug 19, 2019